Alice Brown (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Alice Regina Brown (born September 20, 1960 in Jackson
, Mississippi
) is a retired American
sprinter
. She was a silver medalist in the 1984 Olympic
100m final in a time of 11.13 seconds. She attended John Muir High School (Pasadena, California)
and California State University, Northridge
.
She was the 1st leg runner in two US Olympic 4x100 Relay teams 1984- 88, both teams winning the gold.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, in the individual 100 metres, Brown and American teammate Jeanette Bolden
charged out to the lead, only to be overtaken by world record holder Evelyn Ashford
, with Brown clearly taking the silver medal. see the race Later, the U.S. relay team won the gold medal beating Canada by over a second, the greatest winning margin in the event's history. This was due to a very strong team which included all three U.S sprinters that made the 100m final and Brown's superb start. The US were clear favourites as the GDR and USSR teams who would have provided stiff competition were absent due to the Eastern Bloc boycott. The team was never seriously challenged, leading from gun to tape and triumphing with a time of 41.60 seconds, one of the fastest times in history.
In the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games all nations were present for the first time since the Montréal games in 1976. In the final of the Women’s 4x100 Relay all the strongest nations were present except for the Jamaicans who were non starters.
Alice Brown once again led the United States challenge running the first leg, in a superb piece of relay running she left the field trailing in her wake, by the time she handed over to Sheila Echols
(2nd Leg), she had caught and was passing the Bulgarian athlete in the next lane. Florence Griffith-Joyner
(3rd Leg) took over and ran solidly, handed over to Evelyn Ashford (anchor) who in very impressive fashion made up three metres on Marlies Göhr
and led the US team to victory by a clear metre. The winning time was down (41.97 seconds) on the U.S record due to sloppy baton exchanges. It was superior basic speed and sheer talent that won the U.S their second consecutive gold in this event.
In 1987 Alice won 4x100 relay Gold at the World Championships Rome, Italy. A very strong and well-drilled team consisting of Diane Williams
(2nd Leg), Florence Griffith-Joyner (3rd Leg) and Pam Marshall
(anchor) were favorite. They won their semi-final with a time over a second faster than the usually dominant GDR team. They went on to win the final from the GDR team (Silver), clocking a time of 41.58 CR, which was a U.S record at the time, and still ranks as one of the fastest times in history.
Height 1.57 m (5'2")
Weight 56 kg (123 lb) (1987)
100 m
1984 Silver
4x100 m Relay
1984 Gold, 1988 Gold
ISBN 0-671-69917-2
Jackson, Mississippi
Jackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
) is a retired American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sprinter
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
. She was a silver medalist in the 1984 Olympic
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
100m final in a time of 11.13 seconds. She attended John Muir High School (Pasadena, California)
John Muir High School (Pasadena, California)
John Muir High School is a four-year comprehensive secondary school in Pasadena, California, United States and is a part of the Pasadena Unified School District. The school is named after preservationist John Muir.-History:...
and California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
.
She was the 1st leg runner in two US Olympic 4x100 Relay teams 1984- 88, both teams winning the gold.
At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, in the individual 100 metres, Brown and American teammate Jeanette Bolden
Jeanette Bolden
Jeanette Bolden . is a former Olympian athlete who competed mainly in the 100 metres.She competed for the United States in the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles, U.S. in the 4 x 100 metres where she won the gold medal with her team mates 100 metre silver medalist Alice Brown, Chandra...
charged out to the lead, only to be overtaken by world record holder Evelyn Ashford
Evelyn Ashford
Evelyn Ashford is a retired American athlete, the 1984 Olympic champion in the 100 m. She has run under the 11 second barrier over 30 times and was the first to run under 11 seconds in an Olympic Games.As a 19-year-old, Ashford finished 5th in the 100 m event at the 1976 Summer Olympics...
, with Brown clearly taking the silver medal. see the race Later, the U.S. relay team won the gold medal beating Canada by over a second, the greatest winning margin in the event's history. This was due to a very strong team which included all three U.S sprinters that made the 100m final and Brown's superb start. The US were clear favourites as the GDR and USSR teams who would have provided stiff competition were absent due to the Eastern Bloc boycott. The team was never seriously challenged, leading from gun to tape and triumphing with a time of 41.60 seconds, one of the fastest times in history.
In the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games all nations were present for the first time since the Montréal games in 1976. In the final of the Women’s 4x100 Relay all the strongest nations were present except for the Jamaicans who were non starters.
Alice Brown once again led the United States challenge running the first leg, in a superb piece of relay running she left the field trailing in her wake, by the time she handed over to Sheila Echols
Sheila Echols
Sheila Ann Echols is a retired track and field athlete from the United States, who won the gold medal in the 4 x 100 metres relay at the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea, alongside team mates Alice Brown, 100 m gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner and 100 m silver medalist Evelyn...
(2nd Leg), she had caught and was passing the Bulgarian athlete in the next lane. Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Griffith-Joyner , also known as Flo-Jo was an American track and field athlete. She is considered the "fastest woman of all time" based on the fact that she still holds the world record for both the 100 metres and 200 metres, both set in 1988 and never seriously challenged...
(3rd Leg) took over and ran solidly, handed over to Evelyn Ashford (anchor) who in very impressive fashion made up three metres on Marlies Göhr
Marlies Göhr
Marlies Göhr is a former East German athlete, the winner of the 100 m at the inaugural World Championships in 1983. She ranked in the top 10 of the 100 m world rankings for twelve straight years, ranking first in six of those years...
and led the US team to victory by a clear metre. The winning time was down (41.97 seconds) on the U.S record due to sloppy baton exchanges. It was superior basic speed and sheer talent that won the U.S their second consecutive gold in this event.
In 1987 Alice won 4x100 relay Gold at the World Championships Rome, Italy. A very strong and well-drilled team consisting of Diane Williams
Diane Williams (athlete)
Diane Williams is a retired World class sprinter who ran 100 m and 4x100 m relays. She was born 14 December 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A...
(2nd Leg), Florence Griffith-Joyner (3rd Leg) and Pam Marshall
Pam Marshall
Pam Marshall is a retired US sprinter.-Career:Marshall competed in the 100 m, 200 m and 4x100 m Relay...
(anchor) were favorite. They won their semi-final with a time over a second faster than the usually dominant GDR team. They went on to win the final from the GDR team (Silver), clocking a time of 41.58 CR, which was a U.S record at the time, and still ranks as one of the fastest times in history.
Height 1.57 m (5'2")
Weight 56 kg (123 lb) (1987)
Major results
Olympics100 m
1984 Silver
4x100 m Relay
1984 Gold, 1988 Gold
External sources
The International Track Field Annual 1987/88ISBN 0-671-69917-2